Aug. 1, 1870.] 



HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



187 



MICROSCOPY. 



Viburnum Lantana.— This plant, so common 

 in the hedge-rows of chalk districts, is popularly 

 known as the Wayfaring tree, or Mealy Guelder 

 Rose. It affords very beautiful examples of sphae- 

 raphides and stellate hairs. The former have been 

 figured from a species of Goosefoot (Chenopodium) , 

 in a late number of Science-Gossip, with reference 

 to Professor Gulliver's observations in the 4th 

 volume of the Popular Science Revieto, but I know 

 not that they have ever been figured in Viburnum 

 Lantana. Whether the beautiful hairs of this plant 

 have been depicted in the interesting and important 

 series on this subject in Science-Gossip I cannot say 

 at the present moment ; but they are well worthy of 

 a distinct place in connection with the Wayfaring 

 tree. The sphaeraphides occur in cells, so arranged 



Fig. 173. a. Sph seraph ides of Viburnum Lantana, 

 b. Stellate hair of Viburnum Lantana. 



together (fig. 1, magnified about 190 diameters) as 

 to constitute an excellent example of what Professor 

 Gulliver names " SpliEeraphid tissue." It occurs 

 abundantly in the middle layer of the bark of the 

 young shoots and many other parts of the plant. 

 To see it well, you have only to make very thin 

 sections of the shoot, both transversely and longi- 

 tudinally, and examine their delicate slices in water 

 with an objective of a quarter-inch focal length. 

 The hairs are beautiful under a lower power ; in the 

 figure 2 they are magnified about 45 diameters. 

 And there are few more remarkable and interesting 

 microscopic objects than these sphreraphides and 

 hairs of Viburnum Lantana j and so easy is it to 

 see and examine them, that this plant may well 

 afford some very agreeable " half-hours with the 

 microscope" to even the merest novices in micro- 

 scopic manipulation ; and when they have paid such 

 attention to the plant they are likely to be thankful 

 for this pretty addition to microscopic enjoyments. 



-Q.F. 



Microscopical Manipulation.— The members 

 of the Quekett Microscopical Club, especially those 

 who have from time to time attended Mr. Suffolk's 

 lectures, will welcome their reissue in a collected and 

 revised form. Other microscopists, especially begin- 

 ners, will find this a handy digest of what they desire 

 to know of microscopical manipulation. It does not 

 profess to deal witli novelties, or to propound new 



discoveries; but its aim, as that of v the lectures 

 themselves, is to point out the way to use a micro- 

 scope and its adjuncts, as well as to prepare objects 

 for examination. Keeping its intention in view, 

 there is not the slightest doubt it will prove useful 

 and welcome. Unfortunately the practical illustra- 

 tions which accompanied the lectures, are not well 

 compensated for by copious woodcuts ; but the de- 

 scriptions are terse and plain, so that the deficiency 

 will be felt the less. All who require help are likely 

 to find it in this volume, which is neatly got up, 

 and published by Henry Gillman, of Boy Court, 

 Ludgate Hill. 



Scale of the Bleak (Leuciscus alburnus). — 

 The scales of this lively little fish are very thin and 

 delicate, so much so that when mounted iu balsam 

 they are hardly to be seen. The fish itself is very 



Fig. 1T4. Scale of Bleak. 



much like the Dace, but the scales are quite differ- 

 ent, as will be seen by comparing the present 

 figure with that of the Dace at p. 163 (fig. 122) of 

 our volume for 18G9. Not only are those of the 

 Bleak proportionately broader, but more delicate, 

 and not channelled inwards from the attached mar- 

 gin, as in those of the Dace. 



Pencil Tails. — At the meeting of the Micro- 

 scopical Club, on the 22nd July, Mr. S. J. Mclutirc 

 read a paper on the habits and development of 

 Pencil Tails {Polyxem<s lagurus), in which much 

 useful and interesting information was given re- 

 specting these Myriapods. A figure of the creature 

 and its hairs was given in our first volume (Science- 

 Gossip, 1865, p. 230), to which our readers are 

 referred. 



Microscopic Amplification.— Mr. E. A. Dicker- 

 son, of New York, has recently read a paper before 

 the Bailey Microscopical Club of that city, illus- 

 trated by a photogragh of Pleurosigma angulation, 

 magnifying power 98217 diameters. The sphserules 

 are one inch and a quarter diameter. 



